It has previously been proposed to separate printed products, typically folded printed products supplied from a printing machine into discrete paths. For example, European Patent Application No. 0054 963 describes an arrangement in which a vertical supply transport belt arrangement supplies printed products in a vertical path, in which the printed products are spaced from each other along supply belts running downwardly. Two oppositely rotating deflection elements are provided to guide the printed products towards respective delivery belt lines. A fixed tongue is located between the deflection elements, which include deflection segments. The tongue has an edge which, to prevent damage to the respective printed products, is covered alternately by a deflection segment of a deflection element, so that the arriving printed products are deflected either towards the left or towards the right of the tongue for further transport to the respectively associated belt transport device. The use of two deflection segments is complex, space consuming, and hence expensive.
It has also been proposed to separate printed products and guide them towards two separate belt transport devices without using a fixed tongue. This arrangement, also, requires two rotating segment-like deflecting bodies--see the referenced German Pat. No. 1 786 264.